Bell founder in Linz

As in many medieval and modern cities in Europe, bell casting has a long tradition in Linz on the Danube .

history

The first bell founder in Linz was Benedikt Reicher in the first quarter of the 16th century.

The Linz bell founders were mainly active in Upper Austria, Lower Austria and South Bohemia. Neighboring larger bell foundry workshops were in Steyr (around 1500–1899), Passau (since 1455, currently Rudolf Perner bell foundry ), Braunau am Inn (1437–1891 / 1894) and Salzburg (1440–1866).

The Glockengießergasse got its name from the so-called Glockengießerhaus in this street in 1815 at the latest . At its western end, the foundation stone was for the 1862 New Linz Cathedral laid, so that in 1894 the bells Gießergasse by bishop Franz-Josef Rudigier , the initiator of the cathedral building in Rudigierstraße has been renamed.

A bell foundry in the sense of a company was established in 1917 in the neighboring town of St. Florian .

List of Linz bell-makers

Surname	Period
Rich Benedict	1519-1525
Kaltenecker Augustin	1579-1589
Seiser Christoph	1603-1635
Reuter Johann	1626-1646
Fidler Martin	1636-1649
Rohrer Hans	1651-1678
Prammer Johann	1693
Schorer Melchior	1678-1706
Creuz Silvius	1709-1745
Potz Karl	1758-1774
Bandl Thomas	1775
Zöchbaur Michael	1773-1798
Zöchbaur Anna Maria	1799-1802
Gammel Leopold	1800-1820
Teufelmayr Michael	1821-1823
Hollederer Johann	1827-1843
Hollederer Franz	1844-1879
Gugg Anton	1891-1913

Bell foundry St. Florian

Towards the end of the First World War , during which numerous church bells were confiscated and melted down for war purposes, the Upper Austrian Bell and Metal Foundry was founded on February 17, 1917 in order to be able to meet the expected demand for new bells after the end of the war. Austria's most famous bell comes from this workshop in St. Florian . The Neue Pummerin started her trip to Vienna on April 25, 1952 from Linz, which is reminiscent of the so-called bell ring of the Pummerin in front of the Linz Landhaus .

Bell caster

Benedikt Reicher

Name variants: Benedict Reicher, Benedikt Reicher.

The first person from Linz to work as a bell founder was gunsmith Benedikt Reicher, son of the well-known Salzburg bell founder Hans Reicher. Several bells between 1519 and 1525 can be assigned to it:

• 1519 New casting of the cracked, big bell ( Empress ) of the Linz parish church .
• In 1524 a still preserved bell weighing 840 kg for the parish church of Bad Zell

Augustin Kaltenecker

Name variants: Augustin Kalteneckher, Augustin Kaltheneckher, Augustin Kaltenegger.

After a brief collapse in bell production in Linz, Augustin Kaltenecker continued the craft between 1579 and 1589, who in 1582 also designed the planetary fountain in the Linz Landhaus together with Peter Guet .

Selected Works:

• 1583 two bells (clock bells) for the new tower in Kremsmünster Abbey
• 1586 big bell in the parish church Eferding
• Bells for the pilgrimage church Maria Taferl

Martin Fidler

Name variants: Martin Fidler, Martinus Fidler, Martin Fitler.

Martin Fidler was a house owner in Linz, Hauptplatz 35, and died on November 20, 1649.

Selected Works:

• 1636 a bell for Niederwaldkirchen
• 1638 a bell for Schleissheim and a bell for Schlierbach
• 1639 and 1649 for Kremsmünster
• 1642 two bells for the parish church of Klam , three bells for Grein
• 1648 one bell each for the collegiate church of St. Florian and the Johanneskirche in St. Florian.

Melchior Schorer

Name variants: Melchior Schorer, Melchior Schorrer, Melchior Schurer.

When Melchior Schorer married his widow Eva Catharina Rohrer on September 26, 1678, he came into the possession of the Rohrer's bell foundry. Two days later, on September 28, 1678, Melchior Schurer was accepted into the citizens of Linz. The handicraft family lived in the elegant house at Hauptplatz No. 6, while the bell foundry was in the suburb, today Landstrasse 40. In addition to bells, Schorer also made table candlesticks, church candlesticks, smoke barrels and stucco . Melchior Schorer died on November 23, 1709 at the age of 60. The widow Eva Schorer bequeathed part of the inheritance to the Bürgerspital, the Thornmüller'schen poor house and the two infirmary houses in Weingarten and in Straßfelden zu Linz.

Selected Works:

• 1678 a bell for Steinerkirchen on the Traun
• 1679 a bell for Ardagger
• 1680 a bell for the Minorite monastery in Krumau
• 1680/82 a bell for the Langhalsen church
• 1682 a still preserved bell for the parish church of Arnreit
• 1683 a bell for Hořice na Šumavě (Höritz), which was later damaged in a fire, inscription "Melchior Schurer in Linz poured me 1683"
• The Turkish bell from Turkish cannons in 1688, the eleven bell and twelve bell for the parish church of Mauthausen in 1692 (all three baroque bells are still preserved)
• 1688, 1689 and 1690 a bell each for Sonntagberg
• 1692 the big bell for the parish church Altmünster
• 1692–1703 several bells for Lambach Abbey
• 1693 a harmonious ringing of five bells for the parish church of Linz . Below is the large bell that Michael Schorer cast from the material of the old empress , which Emperor Maximilian I gave to the parish church in 1494. The bell ring on the main square of Linz with the inscription "1693" commemorates the memorable event of that year.
• 1700 the big bell for Krumau Castle
• 1701 a bell for the pilgrimage church Heilbrunn (Hojná Voda) near Gratzen (Nové Hrady)

In 1697, with reference to his successful work in Linz, Melchior Schorer applied to Bishop Lamberg for the order for a bell in the new pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl , but this was rejected with reference to a lack of metal and money. Only his successors in Linz later received orders for Maria Taferl.

Silvius Creuz

Name variants: Sylvius Creiz, Silvio Creuz, Silvio Croce, Silvio de Cruce, Silvius Creuz, Silvius Kreuz, Sylvius Kreuz, Sylvius Kreutz.

Silvius Creuz was born around 1671 and should have worked as a works foreman at Melchior Schorer as early as 1702. Silvius Creuz worked primarily in Upper Austria and the Krumau district . In addition to his work as a bell founder, he was also involved in the "waterworks" in St. Florian Monastery and Melk Monastery . He died on July 8, 1754.

Works during his temporary stay in Ceske Budejovice:

• 1702, 1709 and 1713 bells for the Vyšší Brod monastery (Hohenfurt)
• 1704 Chelčice
• 1705 Umíráček ( Totenglöcklein ) for the Black Tower in Ceske Budejovice
• 1705 and 1708 bells for the Kájov pilgrimage church (Gojau)

During his time in Linz:

• Several bells for Lambach Abbey in 1721, 1727 and 1741
• 1723 three big bells (Bumerin, Marta and Oktáva) for the Black Tower in Budweis
• 1728 big bell for Ondřejov u Kaplice (Andreasberg at today's Boletice military training area ), delivered in 1917
• 1729 five bells for the Zlatá Koruna monastery
• 1731 five bells for the newly rebuilt parish church in Wels (the largest is still preserved) and three bells for Pregarten
• 1733 five bells for Wilhering Abbey , after the great fire on March 6, 1733
• 1739 Světlík
• 1742 Rožmberk nad Vltavou (Rosenberg)

After 1745:

• 1745 Zelnava
• 1746 Kaplice
• 1747 Hořice na Šumavě
• 1748 one or two bells for Maria Taferl; a bell for the St. Vitus Church in Krummau
• 1749 Vltavice

Karl Potz

Name variants: Carl Poz, Karel Poz, Karel Potz, Karl Potz

Karl Potz married the daughter Maria Franziska of Silvius Creuz, who died in the same year, on November 12th, 1754 and thus came into possession of this workshop.

Selected Works:

• 1754 Offenhausen
• 1755 three bells for Liebenau , one bell for Dolní Dvořiště (Unterhaid) and one bell for the Perger Kalvarienbergkirche , which is still preserved and has been used as a train bell in the parish church of Perg since 1917 .
• 1756 two bells for Schloss Haus (Wartberg ob der Aist)
• 1759 two bells for the new hospital of the Barmherzigen Brüder (Linz) and one bell for the newly rebuilt Minoritenkirche (Linz)
• 1760 Horní Planá (upper plan)
• 1761 four bells for Bad Ischl and one bell for the Weinberg castle chapel
• 1765 a bell for Rožmitál na Šumavě (Rose Valley)
• 1773 one bell each for Ungenach and the pilgrimage church Maria Schutz am Bründl in Bad Leonfelden
• 1774 one bell each for St. Oswald near Freistadt and Rainbach in the Mühlkreis

Michael Zöchbaur

Name variants: Johann Michael Zöchbaur, Michael Zöchbaur

Zöchbauer manufactured bells mainly for the Upper Austria area. In addition, Zöchbaur dealt with the manufacture of fire engines. He died on May 27, 1798 at the age of 52. His marble epitaph with the characteristic depiction of the Flood is kept in the Linz State Museum.

Selected Works:

• 1773 a bell for Atzbach
• 1774 two bells for Waldneukirchen
• 1775 a bell for Lambach Abbey and a bell for Hohenfurt
• 1784 one bell each for the parish church of St. Johann am Wimberg , Krenglbach , Rohrbach-Berg and Steinerkirchen am Innbach
• 1786 a bell that was acquired by the Linz City Museum in 1962
• 1796 a bell for Grein, the smallest bell for Ondřejov u Kaplice (Andreasberg)
• 1797 one bell each for arbing and cruising
• 1798 one bell each for Königswiesen , Neumarkt and Pfarrkirchen

Anna Maria Zöchbaur

Selected works by the widow Anna Maria Zöchbaur:

• 1798 Schwertberg
• 1799 two bells each for Ansfelden and Fischlham , one bell each for Mitterkirchen in Machland and one for the Pöstlingbergkirche
• 1801 two bells each for the Linz country house tower and for Natternbach
• 1802 two bells for St. Georgen im Attergau

Leopold Gammel

Name variants: Johann Leopold Gammel, Leopold Gammel

After the death of Michael Zöchbaur, Leopold Gammel was managing director of the widow Zöchbaur, whom he married on February 21, 1803 at the age of 33. On May 24, 1821, one month before his death on June 23, 1803, Gammel sold the bell foundry at Landstrasse 40, including two melting furnaces (for 5600 kg and 1400 kg of metal), three wind furnaces, a small cast furnace, a bricked-in copper kettle and two large elevators with double ropes and wheels to his successor Michael Teufelmayr.

Selected Works:

• 1800 one bell each for Aussee and the branch church Kimpling in the parish of Kallham
• 1801 the small bell in Strčíce
• 1804 two bells for Neumarkt an der Ybbs
• 1813 the big bell in Doudleby (Deindles near Budweis); Bell for a chapel in St. Florian
• 1817 two bells for Leopoldschlag and one bell each for Kasten (municipality of Vichtenstein) and Laussa
• 1820 Putzleinsdorf

Michael Teufelmayr

Michael Teufelmayr only ran the bell foundry for two years with his foremen Ignaz Hertl from Prague and Michael Sauter.

Selected Works:

• 1821 two bells for the newly built Auerkapelle in Unterdambach (municipality of Garsten) and one bell for the Traunfall chapel near Roitham am Traunfall
• 1822 one bell each for Maria Taferl, Adlwang and Kematen an der Krems

Johann Hollederer

Johann Heinrich Hollederer (* 1783 in Nuremberg ; † August 11, 1847 in Linz) comes from Protestant parents and is already mentioned as a bell foundry journeyman at his wedding on October 8, 1809 with the master dyer daughter Maria Anna Schützenberger from Reichenau im Mühlkreis . Worked for the bell foundries Gammel and Teufelmayr for six years before he bought the workshop in 1823 and thus became Teufelmayr's successor at the bell foundry fair at Landstrasse 40. There is evidence that he poured more than 150 bells for churches in Upper Austria and the surrounding area.

Selected Works:

• 1824 one bell each for Schlüßlberg , Kirchschlag , Michaelnbach and Schleißheim
• 1827 four bells for Haslach an der Mühl , two bells for Eberstalzell and one bell each for Aurach am Hongar , Rohrbach and St. Ulrich im Mühlkreis
• 1832 three bells for Neukirchen bei Lambach and one bell each for Allhaming , Pichl bei Wels , Rannariedl and Rottenbach
• 1833 three bells for Lindach (Allhaming municipality)
• 1834 five bells for Urfahr
• 1835 New casting of two bells for the parish church of St. Johann am Wimberg , which Johann Michael Zöchbaur had created in 1784.
• 1836 four bells for the parish church of St. Magdalena in Linz (one of which is still preserved)
• 1838 three bells each for the Minorite Church in Linz and for Katsdorf ; Lambach Abbey
• 1839 five bells for the Schlägl collegiate church; Bell (melted down in 1917) for the parish church of Saxen
• 1841 four bells for Ebelsberg
• 1842 five bells for Gmunden
• 1843 four bells for Steinbach an der Steyr , three bells for Bachmanning and two bells for Haslach
• 1844 one bell each for Goldwörth , Naarn , Pergkirchen , Hackstock (municipality of Unterweißbach)
• 1845 two bells for Oftering

"Johann Hollederer and Sons":

• 1844 five bells for Spital am Pyhrn
• 1845 four bells for Alberndorf
• 1846 three bells for Marchtrenk
• 1847 one bell each for Aigen im Mühlkreis , Krenglbach , Bad Leonfelden

Franz Hollederer

Franz Seraphin Hollederer (born September 25, 1815 in Linz, † September 6, 1883 in Linz) was baptized a Catholic, returned to Linz after the death of his father and continued his workshop under the name of Johann Hollederer and Sons . By the end of the 1870s, around 300 bells were made for churches in Upper Austria, around 50 for Lower Austria and also around 50 bells for Bohemia . He also worked as a "fire extinguishing machine manufacturer".

Selected Works:

• 1844 Spital am Pyhrn
• 1845 three bells for Tumeltsham ; Alberndorf in the Riedmark
• 1846 Marchtrenk
• 1849 four bells each for Altschwendt and Benešov nad Černou (Beneschau) and Peilstein; large bell (melted down in 1917) for the parish church of Saxen
• 1850 three bells for Asten
• 1851 three bells for Grünbach
• 1853 Puchheim
• 1854 three bells for Weitersfelden
• 1855 four bells for Strengberg
• 1857 four bells for Pierbach
• 1858, 1859 and 1874 one bell each for Hohenfurt
• 1860 four bells for Kirchberg near Linz
• 1860 small bell and 1869 medium bell for Ondřejov u Kaplice (Andreasberg)
• 1861 four bells for Riistorf and three bells for Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald
• 1862 four bells for Gmunden
• 1864 three bells for Oberneukirchen
• 1865 four bells for the Waldhausen monastery church
• 1866 four bells each for Riedau and Großpertholz and three bells for the market church in Admont
• In 1867 five bells for Meggenhofen , four bells for St. Thomas am Blasenstein , three bells each for the branch church Oberthalheim and Pennewang
• 1869 four bells for Gschwandt
• 1871 three bells for Schönau im Mühlkreis
• 1872 three bells each for Niederthalheim , Altmünster and St. Pankraz
• 1873 a bell for Lambach Abbey
• 1879 one bell each in Pupping and Haslach

Anton Gugg

Anton Gugg (born September 3, 1864 in Braunau, † May 17, 1941 in Linz) came from an old bell foundry family who worked in Salzburg, Braunau, Passau, Straubing and Znaim . After years of traveling in Bavaria, Switzerland, Strasbourg and Metz, Anton Gugg worked as a bell founder for U. Kortler in Munich , for the Grüninger brothers in Villingen , in metal factories in Nuremberg and Vienna and for his uncle of the same name in Salzburg. In 1891 his father Rupert Gugg acquired the Österlein factory in Schubertstrasse in Linz, where the bell foundry workshop from Braunau was relocated in 1892. In Braunau only occasional small bells were cast. From 1895 Anton Gugg was the sole owner of the company and cast around 300 bells for clients around the world. In 1907 he converted the bell foundry into a metal goods factory. In 1917 Anton Gugg became the first director of the newly founded bell foundry in St. Florian.

Selected Works:

• 1895 a bell for Hořice na Šumavě (Höritz)
• 1896 five bells for Traun and four bells each for Ottensheim and St. Gotthard in the Mühlkreis
• 1896 and 1897 a bell each for the mission in Australia
• 1898 two bells for Frymburk nad Vltavou (Friedberg)
• 1899 five bells for Ottensheim and four bells each for Ampflwang and St. Georgen b. T.
• 1901 seven bells for the New Cathedral in Linz
• 1902 two bells for Nové Hutě (Kaltenbach) and one bell each for boards in Malonty (Meinetschlag), Waiden in Malšín (Malsching) and Kohlgrub in Bohemia.
• 1903 a bell for Koziniec (Galicia)
• 1906 three bells for Sarajevo in Bosnia
• 1907 four bells for Mariannhill in South Africa and one bell for Cortina d'Ampezzo
• 1909 a bell for Prnjavor (Bosnia)
• 1911 a bell for St. Paul in Holland
• 1913 three more bells for Mariannhill

See also

• List of bell foundries
• The bell ring on the main square in Linz commemorates the so-called "Empress", who was handed over to the parish church of Linz by Emperor Maximilian I in 1494 . The "Empress" was cast in 1519 by Benedikt Reicher and in 1693 by Melchior Schorer.
• The bell ring of the Pummerin in front of the Linz Landhaus is reminiscent of the Pummerin, who was cast in St. Florian on September 5, 1951 and set out from the Linz Landhaus on her journey to St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna .

literature

• Florian Oberchristl: Bell customer of the Diocese of Linz. Verlag R. Pirngruber, Linz 1941, section “Linz a. D. "pp. 640-654.
• František Mareš, J. Sedláček: Soupis památek historických a uměleckých v politickém okrese Krumlovském. Svazek I. Okolí Krumlova. Praha 1918 ( PDF file and full text , Czech).

Web links

Commons : Glockengießer in Linz  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Robert Baier: Late medieval / early modern pilgrimage signs in the form of bell casts from Austria & bell casts from Austrian pilgrimage sites. Diploma thesis, Vienna 2013, p. 52, PDF file on univie.ac.at.
2. ↑ Oberchristl 1941, Section IV. The bell founders and their works. Pp. 624-675.
3. ↑ Linz street names. Rudigierstraße on stadtgeschichte.linz.at.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Oberchristl 1941, section “Linz a. D. ”on pp. 640-654.
5. ↑ Kath. Preßverein (ed.): Rieder Heimatkunde. Ried im Innkreis 1909, full text p. 83: “The following are mentioned from the Linz foundries: Melchior Schorrer, father and son (1623–1706); Johann Reuter (1626-1646); Martin Fidler (1648); Hans Nohrer (1673–1677); Johann Prammer (1693); Silvius Cross (de Cruce 1709-1745); Karl Potz (1758-1774); Zochbauer (1798); Leopold Gammel (1799-1813); then the Hollederer family ”.
6. ^ ^{A b} Georg Wacha: The memorial room for Emperor Friedrich III. In: Historisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Linz 1986. Linz 1987, p. 40, entire article p. 40–61, online (PDF) in the forum OoeGeschichte.at.
7. ↑ ^{a b c} Oberchristl 1941, p. 640.
8. ↑ Monuments / Buildings by Augustin Kaltenecker on stadtgeschichte.linz.at.
9. ↑ ^{a b} Oberchristl 1941, p. 641.
10. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Oberchristl 1941, p. 643f.
11. ^ Michael Prokosch: The oldest citizen book of the city of Linz (1658-1707). Edition and evaluation (= source editions of the Institute for Austrian Historical Research. Volume 18). Böhlau Verlag, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2019, p. 98 (No. 362 in the Linzer Bürgerbuch).
12. ↑ ^{a b} Mareš 1918, p. XLII.
13. ↑ Katholischer Preßverein (Ed.): Contributions to regional and folklore of the Mühlviertel. 1925, p. 6, image display and full text on digi.landesbibliothek.at.
14. ^ Altmünster parish office (ed.): The parish church of St. Benedikt von Altmünster on Lake Traunsee. Kirchenführer, Gmunden 2011, p. 45, entire article 68 pages ( PDF file on dioezese-linz.at).
15. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Georg Wacha: Stift Lambach and Linz. In: Historisches Jahrbuch der Stadt Linz 1959. Linz 1959, p. 396, entire article p. 384–415, online (PDF) in the forum OoeGeschichte.at.
16. ↑ ^{a b} Rosa Pazelt: The 'Immaculata' remained untouched. In: Weekend supplement of the Upper Austrian News. December 1958, p. 13, column 3.
17. ↑ ^{a b c d} Alois Plesser: Contributions to the history of the pilgrimage and parish in Maria-Taferl. In: Historical supplements to the St. Pölten Diözesan-Blatt published by the Episcopal Ordinariate in St. Pölten. X. Volume. Verlag des Bischöflichen Ordinariates, St. Pölten 1928, pp. 83, 136 and 195, entire article pp. 1–278 ( PDF file ).
18. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Oberchristl 1941, p. 645f.
19. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Mareš 1918, p. XLIII.
20. ↑ ^{a b c d} zvonařství (Bell foundry) . In: Scientifically edited online encyclopedia encyklopedie.c-budejovice.cz about Budweis (Czech).
    zvony (bells) . In: Scientifically edited online encyclopedia encyklopedie.c-budejovice.cz about Budweis (Czech).
21. ↑ ^{a b c} Mareš 1918, p. 322.
22. ^ Jodok Stülz: History of the Cistercian monastery Wilhering. Linz 1949, p. 355, Google Books
23. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Oberchristl 1941, p. 647f.
24. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Oberchristl 1941, p. 648.
25. ^ Georg Wacha: City Museum Linz. In: The scientific institutions of the city of Linz 1962. In: Yearbook of the Upper Austrian Museum Association. 108, Linz 1963, p. 56, PDF on ZOBODAT
26. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Oberchristl 1941, p. 649.
27. ^ Alois Brandner: Renovation of the St. Laurenzius branch church in Kimpling. In: Parish Gazette Kallham. 01/2010, parish gazette Kallham .
28. ↑ ^{a b} Josef Branis: Soupis památek historických a umeleckých v království českém od praveku do počátku XIX. století. Praha 1900, p. 56 and 120 ( Google Books p. 56 , Google Books p. 120 , full text in Czech).
29. ↑ https://opacplus.bsb-muenchen.de/Vta2/bsb10535962/bsb:4353480?queries=gammel&language=de&c=default
30. ^ Leopold Arthofer: History of Garsten according to old and new sources. Self-published, 1929, p. 88, HTML page .
31. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} Hollederer, Johann . In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 . 2nd revised edition (online only).
32. ↑ Directory of the Frey, bourgeois and subservient houses in the Imperial and Royal capital of Linz and in the suburbs. Linz 1825, Landstrasse no. 528 on p. 27, PDF file (Landstrasse: " House no. 528 Joh. Heinr. Holleder, Glockengießer"; the Glockengießer garden is also mentioned on p. 52 under house no. 1143).
33. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Oberchristl 1941, p. 650.
34. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} Oberchristl 1941, p. 651.
35. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} Oberchristl 1941, p. 652.
36. ↑ ^{a b} Gugg, Anton . In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 . 2nd revised edition (online only).
37. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Oberchristl 1941, p. 653.
38. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Oberchristl 1941, p. 654.